


Breaking Silence

by Mareel



Category: Star Trek: Enterprise
Genre: Dysfunctional Family, F/M, Family, Gen, Pre-Canon, Siblings
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-08-08
Updated: 2013-08-08
Packaged: 2017-12-22 19:42:49
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 450
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/917307
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mareel/pseuds/Mareel
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Shattering an uneasy calm.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Breaking Silence

**Author's Note:**

> This takes place at Malcolm's family home prior to his joining Starfleet. It is in canon with, and concurrent with [Shattered](http://archiveofourown.org/works/777083) which was Malcolm's story of the events related here by his sister Madeline and his mother, Mary Reed.

 

My brother stood up to our father today. It’s been a long time coming, but I knew he would finally find the courage to do it. He has accepted the verbal abuse for far too long, silently biting his tongue, his eyes fixed somewhere in the far distance. 

Today he calmly announced at dinner that he would be leaving in the morning for San Francisco. It’s a long trip from our parents’ house in Malaysia, but he has arranged all of the transport. He plans to join Starfleet. 

Father exploded, calling Malcolm every name in his lexicon of insults from cowardly to ungrateful, not omitting his entire litany of homophobic slurs. 

Malcolm didn’t look away. He looked the man in the eyes and said simply, “I’m sorry you feel that way. But I don’t have to listen to any more of it.” He then turned to Mum and told her his plans had changed. He’d be leaving immediately. That’s when Father started hurling the stemware at the wall to accompany his last round of invective. 

I got up and followed Malcolm from the room, wanting to say my goodbye to him in private. 

He was shaking as I hugged him.

 

____________________________________________________

 

My son chose tonight to finally stand up to his father. I’ve been expecting something of the sort, but Malcolm has always been determined not to let anything Stuart says or does affect him. Which is rubbish. Of course it affects him. I’ve seen the hurt in his eyes and the tightness of his mouth far too many times, ever since he was very young. 

Malcolm waited until he had an escape plan. He’s joined Starfleet. Stuart, of course, was livid that he would spurn the Royal Navy and join this upstart organization instead. In reality, I’m not sure my husband has ever looked up at the night sky, much less heard the stars calling to him. 

Malcolm is his own man… no longer my little boy. He has a clear sense of who he is and an even stronger certainty of who and what he is not. None of the things Stuart called him are accurate. It merely made him look like a bigoted and bitter man. And part of what I could see in Malcolm’s eyes when he turned to me was pity. 

His sister followed him from the dining room. I’m glad he knows he can depend on her love and support. I’m left to deal with Stuart’s temper tantrum in my own way. I told him I hoped he was proud of the image his son would carry with him to the stars. 

As I left him alone at the table, my hands were shaking.

 


End file.
